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The tournament rules say:

Players who drop during limited events own the cards that they correctly have in their possession at that time. This includes any unopened or partially drafted boosters.

Does this mean that if, in a sanctioned draft, I open a booster pack with two mythic rares (one in the foil slot), I can immediately drop and keep both (in addition to any cards I have already drafted)?

If the answer depends on the Rules Enforcement Level, please explain how it differs at each level.

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  • I realized while writing my answer that I may not fully understand what your question is. How does the quote you quoted not directly answer your own question? Where is the confusion coming from?
    – Rainbolt
    May 21, 2015 at 13:12
  • @Rainbolt I found "Possession" here to have many possible interpretations, as it is nat a precice MTG term. Your answer was exactly what I was looking for
    – Zags
    May 21, 2015 at 15:51
  • Whether or not this is allowed (though it seems to be), if you drop from a draft at the very beginning just to avoid passing a card you opened, the other players will probably think you're a jerk.
    – murgatroid99 ♦
    May 21, 2015 at 19:28

2 Answers 2

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Players who drop during limited events own the cards that they correctly have in their possession at that time. This includes any unopened or partially drafted boosters.

Like the rule says, if you drop, you keep any unopened or partially drafted boosters. Even if you pack two mythic rares.

If the rule is not convincing enough, here is a Level 2 judge's interpretation of it:

At any time, you can take the pack in your hand, any cards you have drafted, and any unopened packs you have yet to open and drop from the draft. There will be no repercussions from Wizards for doing this. We don't try to replace any of those cards, the table will just continue drafting with one less player.

Another L2 judge by the name of Nathan Long wrote an in depth article on the subject. It agrees with everything stated above. On this Reddit thread, Toby Elliot chimes in on the subject. Toby is in charge of tournament policy, and he is also a L5 judge.

While it is totally within the rules to grab your pack and drop, the tournament organizer is not obligated to accept your money in the future. My local tournament organizer warns players that they may be banned from participating in future tournaments for dropping repeatedly. The threat is not empty; they actually follow through on some occasions. Talk to the tournament organizer before dropping.

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  • This is true for Competitive REL and Pro REL (where the TR apply), but it's been claimed it's not always the case at Regular REL (where the TR are more of a guide).
    – ikegami
    May 21, 2015 at 18:23
  • @ikegami Let's work it out in chat.
    – Rainbolt
    May 21, 2015 at 18:26
  • After some discussion, I'm going to stand my ground that tournament rules do apply to Regular events.
    – Rainbolt
    May 21, 2015 at 19:20
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Most of the time - yes, you keep what you drafted (any unopened boosters included). However, some stores may have a different approach to distribution of rares and such - they might be distributed randomly, or winners get to choose first from the pool etc. From a related question:

Make sure you know the policy on rares - will rares be re-drafted at the end? Do you keep all rares you draft? Is it a 'winner-chooses' system? Most of the time you'll keep what you draft, but not always.

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  • It's worth noting - as far as WOTC are concerned, their policy is correct and I am pretty sure they would come down pretty hard on a store who tried to force anything different on a player. Whether a store lets a player enter any subsequent drafts after doing so however, is entirely down to the store itself.
    – Patters
    May 21, 2015 at 15:26
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    This answer is only partially correct. The store may ban you, but you are completely within the rules (and the law) to simply leave with what you drafted, even if the store has a rare redraft policy. Leaving with the cards you currently have in your possession is not theft, and DCI will not take action against you. Basically, I think your answer should start with "Yes" instead of "Most of the time - yes". Keep a clear separation between what is allowed by tournament policy and what the store might ban you for.
    – Rainbolt
    May 21, 2015 at 15:43
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    That may be the case in Regular REL (where the TR are more of a guide), but it's not the case in Competitive REL and Pro REL (where the TR apply).
    – ikegami
    May 21, 2015 at 18:24

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